Four faculty researchers were honored on Feb. 12 for their contributions to mentoring and translational science at Vanderbilt University Medical Center during the 2025 Vanderbilt Translational Research Forum.
Translational research brings discoveries from the laboratory and preclinical studies to clinical trials and studies in humans. It also investigates ways to enhance the community adoption of best practices and evaluates the cost-effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies.
This year’s awardees are:
• John Gore, PhD, director of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, recipient of the Katherine E. Hartmann Award for Distinguished Service to Translational Scientists.
• Ravi Shah, MD, professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, recognized for Excellence in Mentoring Translational Scientists.
• Jeffrey Davidson, PhD, professor emeritus of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Stokes Peebles, MD, the Elizabeth and John Murray Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, honored for Excellence in Mentoring to Independence.
Gore, the Hertha Ramsey Cress Professor of Medicine, and University Distinguished Professor of Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Physics and Astronomy, was honored for his contributions to launching and sustaining shared resources and services that support VUMC’s translational scientists.
His award is named for Katherine Hartmann, MD, PhD, former associate dean for Clinical & Translational Scientist Development in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, who currently directs the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science in Lexington.
Shah, who holds the Gottlieb C. Friesinger II Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, was honored for directing Clinical and Translational Research in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and for directing the Nielson Society, which supports junior faculty in the Department of Medicine as they work toward independent research careers, tenure and promotion.
Davidson, a member of the School of Medicine faculty for 34 years until his retirement in 2020, and Peebles, associate director of the Allergy/Immunology Fellowship Training Program in the Department of Medicine, were recognized for their help in launching the careers of fellow faculty members.
The Vanderbilt Translational Research Forum is co-sponsored annually by Edge for Scholars, which provides comprehensive research career development resources to early-career faculty, pre- and postdoctoral trainees, and leaders of institutional training grant awards at VUMC.
This year’s forum, held at the Vanderbilt Student Life Center, featured research talks by 10 faculty members of the School of Medicine and Vanderbilt Peabody College.
Katalin Susztak, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine and co-director of the Penn/CHOP Kidney Innovation Center at the University of Pennsylvania, gave the keynote address.
Other forum sponsors are the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, and the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Master of Public Health degree programs.
For more information, visit https://edgeforscholars.vumc.org.